"The parties with whom we've contracted don't always have room to them so we're looking to run our own kennel," said Polster, noting that the city had previously taken animals to the Animal Protective Foundation shelter on Maple Avenue in Glenville.

APF had offered the city a contract, but City Council members rejected it as too expensive, officials have said.

More Information

Caged canines

Here are the number of dogs Schenectady took into custody for a variety of reasons, including biting someone, getting hit by car, or being stray over a four-year period.

Year Animals sheltered

2008 294

2009 324

2010 329

2011 247

Source: City corporation counsel

"It's good to see they have thoughts of moving forward, but my concern is, are they doing it the right way?" said Lou Ann Falcon, a volunteer with the Animal Protective Foundation. "I want to really make sure it's done right."

Polster said the spacious room inside the Anthony Street waste treatment facility, which is currently being used for storage, has heat, running water, windows, and is ventilated.

He said all that it needs are the kennels, which the city is looking into either buying and assembling or hiring a company to do the work. The kennels will be designed so they can be cleaned without having direct contact with the dogs and only the animal control officers would have direct contact with the animals, Polster said.

The room, which Polster said has already been inspected by Ag & Markets, can hold between 18 and 20 kennels. There is also a room, formerly used as office space, that can be used to quarantine the animals, which stay at the shelter on average for eight days. He said officials are hoping to open the pound by the end of the year. The cost to run the facility will depend on whether the city decides to have an outside company run it, hire new staff or expand the job duties of existing workers, Polster said.

Falcon said several friends who work in the city police and water department have told her that the city intends to staff the kennel with supervised jail inmates or workers in the water department.